G Let It Rise Liturgy Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18A) Let the glory of the Lord rise among us; Let the glory of the Lord rise among us; Let the praises of the King rise among us; Let it rise. Let the songs of the Lord rise among us; Let the songs of the Lord rise among us; Let the joy of the King rise among us; Let it rise. Oh, let it rise; Oh, let it rise. CCLI Song #2240585 1997, 1999 Maranatha Praise, Inc.; Holland Davis Praise the L:;! Sing to the L:; a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise His name with dancing, let them make melody to Him with instruments and song! For the L takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with victory. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy and be glad! My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! I will give thanks to you, O L, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! from Psalms 149:1-6 and 108:1-5 LECTIONARY for the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A: Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 149 Ezekiel 33:7-11 Psalm 119:33-40 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 On this fourteenth Sunday of ordinary (or proper ) time, the long liturgical season after the Day of Pentecost, the Church continues its extended time of study and reflection on the ways in which we, God s people, walk and live in all aspects of our lives through the guidance, power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Today s lectionary invites us to direct our hearts and minds to the ways we live out our lives together in community as Christ s body on earth and the reasons for the many blessings we experience because of that community, as well as the responsibilities we hold to one another because we are one in the love of Christ. In the Exodus passage we read God s instructions to His people for celebrating the first Passover feast as preparation for His deliverance of them from their bondage in Egypt; observing it, God said, was to be a perpetual ordinance for them throughout their generations (and, by extension, for us). Psalm 149 celebrates the blessings of deliverance, while the other readings instruct us as to how we ought to live together and treat one another as redeemed and delivered people of God. Viewing Matthew 18 through this lens is particularly interesting, inspiring, and challenging. In that chapter, we read not only Christ s familiar and encouraging words, where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst (which is included in the lectionary s short gospel passage). We also see the disciples concerns about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven; Christ explaining that we all must become like little children, which requires both humility and a complete conversion
I Will Sing I will sing (I will sing) Of Your great love (of Your great love), And I will tell (I will tell) Of all You ve done (of all You ve done). With Your praise on my lips I ll declare Your faithfulness; I will sing (I will sing) Of Your great love. Verse 1 I seek You in the morning, Your tenderness and mercy fill my cup. Your grace is overflowing, You satisfy my needs and fill me up. So I will sing Verse 2 The heavens praise Your wonders, And I will lift my voice and join the song. Your glory shines around me, Your faithfulness surrounds me all day long. So I will sing Copyright 1999 High Hill Songs ASCAP / Integrity s Hosanna! Music. Carl and Leann Albrecht, Ed Kerr. CCLI Song #1777379. IL:M: Prayers of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving for God s presence We Fall Down We fall down, we lay our crowns At the feet of Jesus, The greatness of mercy and love At the feet of Jesus. And we cry holy, holy, holy; we cry holy, holy, holy, We cry holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. of heart and mind; His exhortation on sin and stumbling blocks; His comforting words that the Shepherd diligently searches for the one sheep out of a hundred who strays, because it is not the Father s will that any of His little ones should perish; and an abundance of teaching on forgiveness. When we remember that not long before this teaching and exhortation was the Transfiguration (Mt. 17) when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and, as we are told in Luke 9, they spoke with Him of His departure His exodus which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem, and that after this time Jesus resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem, the words of Matthew 18 take on an added weight and urgency. This main focus of this sample liturgy and of the teaching time is on the whole of Matthew 18 and on Paul s reminders in Romans 13 that we are commanded to love one another, because love is the fulfillment of the law. - For a sample liturgy that focuses more closely on the Exodus passage, see Pentecost 14A_Alternate in the Liturgy Folio page included in the Liturgical Season Highlights (sidebar link). CCLI Song #2437367 1998 worshiptogether.com songs; Chris Tomlin P:OPP: :O F Ubi Caritas Ubi caritas et amor, Ubi caritas Deus ibi est. English translation: Where charity and love are, where there is love, Copyright 1984Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, 71250 Taizé, France. This wonderful Taizé song forms the responsorial refrain for this Profession of Faith, which adds verses from Ephesians 2 to the Romans passage to declare that it is because of God s love and mercy, which have made us alive together in Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, that we can love one another as depicted in Romans 13.
God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace we have been saved, And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6 Ubi Caritas (sung) So owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for those who love their neighbors have fulfilled the law. For all of the commandments are summed up in this word, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8-10 Ubi Caritas (humming) And this do, knowing that it is already the time for us to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone; the day is near. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:11-12 Ubi Caritas (sung) PWP :O C:OPP: Teach me, O L:;, the way of Your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law and observe it with my whole heart. Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to selfish gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things; give me life in Your ways. Confirm Your promise to Your servant, so that You may be feared. Turn away the disgrace that I dread, for Your judgments are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness Psalm 119:33-40
[Silence] Almighty God, our Redeemer, You have loved us with a love beyond our understanding, and You have set us on paths of righteousness for Your name s sake. Yet in our weakness we too often have failed to be Your messengers of forgiveness and hope. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, that we may follow Your commands and proclaim Your love and faithfulness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [Silent confessions] PPZM :O [;: The word of the Lord: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, learning what is pleasing to the Lord. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. Ephesians 5:8,10; 1 John 1:7 Thanks be to God! T\ :O OOO Words of thanksgiving and stories of God s faithfulness O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free; Rolling as a mighty ocean In its fullness over me. Underneath me, all around me, Is the current of Thy love; Leading onward, leading homeward To my glorious rest above. O the deep, deep love of Jesus Spread His praise from shore to shore! How He loveth, ever loveth, Changeth never, nevermore. How He watches o er His loved ones, Died to call them all His own. How for them He intercedeth, Watcheth o er them from the throne. O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Love of every love the best; Tis an ocean vast of blessing, Tis a haven sweet of rest. O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Tis a heav n of heav ns to me; And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee. And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee. Setting: Ellen Koehler. Copyright 2008 Ellen Koehler. All Rights Reserved. Text: Samuel Trevor Francis, 1875. Hymn tune: Thomas J. Williams, E_`, 1890.
T W:; Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 149 Ezekiel 33:7-11 Psalm 119:33-40 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 T T_a Remembering the Body of Christ The Lord be with you! And also with you! Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again! The Lord s Prayer (sung) Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heav n. Provide each day our daily needs; Forgive our sins as we forgive others wrongs; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, forever and ever; And Thine is the power, forever and ever; And Thine is the glory, now and forever, Amen, amen, amen. Music for The Lord s Prayer is available in the music catalog as a lead sheet and scored for voice and piano. It is also available in the music collection, Singing the Liturgy, Volume 1. You can hear The Lord s Prayer in the Audio Media Studio. Setting: Ellen Koehler Copyright 2010 Ellen Koehler. All Rights Reserved. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav n to earth come down! Fix in us Thy humble dwelling; All Thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, Thou art all compassion; Pure, unbounded love Thou art. Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart. Breathe, O breathe, Thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit; Let us find the promised rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be. End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty, to deliver; Let us all Thy life receive. Suddenly return, and never, Nevermore Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in Thy perfect love. Setting: Ellen Koehler. Copyright 2011 Ellen Koehler. All Rights Reserved. Words: Charles Wesley. Music: John Zundel, Hymn tune: BM S; F: The Life of the Body Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (verse 4) Finish then Thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee: Changed from glory into glory, till in heav n we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise. Benediction Now, beloved, let us pray this together, as we prepare to leave this place: May the love of God enfold us. May the grace of God uphold us. May the power of God enable us as we go forth into the world to love and serve the Lord. Now to God, who by the means of the power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ask or even think, to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all times, for ever and ever. Amen. Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! A thought about worship from the Ancient Fathers He who is both the Lord and most indulgent Parent promises that He will forgive the sins of the repentant. He will blot out all the iniquities of those who begin afresh practicing righteousness. For former uprightness is no use to those who live badly. The subsequent wickedness has destroyed their righteous works. In the same way, former sins don't stand in the way of those who have corrected their lives because the subsequent righteousness has erased the stain of their former lives. Those who repent of what they have done understand their former errors. Regarding this, the Greeks speak better and more significantly of metanoia, which we may speak of as a return to right understanding. Those who return to a right understanding and rescue their minds from madness, who grieve over their errors and rebuke themselves for madness, and commit their minds to a better course of life are guarded against being led into the same snares again. In short, even when dumb animals are ensnared by trickery but have untangled themselves and escaped, they become more cautious in the future. They will always avoid the things in which they have seen tricks, wiles, and snares. Therefore, repentance makes us cautious and diligent to avoid the faults which we once were tricked into. Lactanius Lectionary for next week: Exodus 14:19-31, 15:1b-11, 20-21; Psalm 114; Genesis 50:15-21; Psalm 103:1-13; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35 Copyright 2017 Ellen Koehler. All Rights Reserved. URL: https://www.clerestorynotes.com